BOOKS WE RECOMMEND
No Little Girls Dream- Helena Croft MBE
Is prostitution really the ‘Oldest Profession?’ No Little Girls' Dream confronts perceptions, exposes sexual violence, and challenges the concept of ‘choice’ for those involved. Are you a leader, decision maker, or just passionate about gender equality? Hear real stories of what drives this harmful industry and solutions that demand action.
Paid For - Rachel Moran
Born into a troubled family, Rachel Moran left home at the age of fourteen. Being homeless, she was driven into prostitution to survive. With intelligence and empathy, she describes the exploitation she and others endured on the streets and in the brothels. Moran also speaks to the psychological damage inherent to prostitution and the inevitable estrangement from one's body. At twenty-two, Moran escaped the sex trade. She has since become a writer and an abolitionist activist.
The Slave Across the Street - Theresa Flores
In this powerful true story, Theresa Flores shares how her life as an All-American, 15-year-old teenager was enslaved into the dangerous world of sex-trafficking, all while living at home with unsuspecting parents in an upper-middle-class suburb of Detroit. Her story peels the cover off of this horrific criminal activity and gives dedicated activists, as well as casual bystanders, a glimpse into the underbelly of human trafficking.
Girl for Sale - Lara McDonnell
At the vulnerable age of 12, Lara McDonnell was picked out by a gang of men who befriended her, showered her with attention and gained her trust. Manipulated and groomed, her life quickly spiralled out of control as the men trafficked her around the country, deliberately keeping her compliant with drink and drugs. Deeply disturbed and frightened about what the gang would do to her if she tried to break free, it would take over 4 years for Lara to find the strength to fight back, flee Oxford, and escape her nightmare.
The Pimping of Prostitution - Julie Bindel
This book examines one of the most contested issues facing feminists, human rights activists, and governments around the globe – the international sex trade. For decades, the liberal left has been conflicted as to whether pro-prostitution activists or abolitionists hold the correct view, and debates are ongoing as to who holds the key to the solutions facing the women and girls involved.
Girl A - Abigail Dean
A true story of the key witness in the trial of Britain’s most notorious child sex ring. The heartbreaking truth is revealed by the very girl at the centre of the storm, Girl A. Dean focuses on the effects of trauma and the media glare, rather than the suffering that triggers them.
Invisible: Britain's Migrant Sex Workers - Hsiao-Hung Pai
In this chilling exposé, investigative journalist Hsiao-Hung Pai works undercover as a housekeeper in a brothel and unveils the terrible reality of the British sex trade. Workers are trapped and controlled - the lack of freedoms this invisible strait of society suffers is both shocking and scandalous, and at odds with the idea of a modern Britain in the twenty-first century.
Survivor - Tara O’Shaughnessey
When Tara was only four, she was sexually abused by one of her mother’s many lovers, a horror that continued for five long years. As a teenager, desperate to escape the toxic environment at home, she fled to London – but was swiftly drawn into working as a prostitute. She became involved with some of London’s most notorious gangsters – even marrying one – but when she realised the danger she was inflicting on her children, she knew she had to find a way to get out.
Trafficked - Sophie Hayes
Trafficked is a gripping first-hand account of a young woman who survived the horrors of human trafficking. Sophie Hayes is forced to work as a prostitute by her boyfriend for 6 months. When a life-threatening illness lands her in the hospital, Sophie has a chance to escape. Trafficked is one of the first memoirs to present a stunning personal look at the criminal human sex trafficking trade and bring this disturbingly widespread abuse to light.